UN Experts Critique Venezuela's Election Integrity

A United Nations panel has criticized Venezuela's electoral authority for a lack of transparency and integrity in the July presidential election, where President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner amid widespread claims of fraud. The UN experts noted that the National Electoral Council (CNE) failed to provide detailed results, a practice deemed unprecedented in modern democratic elections, leading to a significant loss of public confidence in the electoral process. The opposition, led by candidate Edmundo González, claims to have evidence showing that González won by a considerable margin, further intensifying the dispute. Following the election, Venezuela has experienced widespread protests, resulting in at least 23 deaths and over 2,400 arrests, prompting UN human rights chief Volker Türk to express concern about arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force. The report from the UN adds to the growing international scrutiny over the integrity of Venezuela's electoral processes, with critics accusing the government of stifling dissent and manipulating election results. Venezuela's Foreign Ministry has rejected the UN findings, labeling the report as biased.